The University of Richmond and the Department of Theatre & Dance present
MOVING BODIES | BODIES MOVING
University Dancers 39th Annual Concert
Artistic Director: Anne Norman Van Gelder*
Founder and Director of Dance Emerita: Myra Daleng*
Costume Design: Johann Stegmeir*±
Lighting Design: Gretta Daughtrey & Alex Broening*
Scenic and Projection Design: Emmy Weldon
Stage Manager: Keira Vogel
Technical Direction: Phil Hayes* & Robby Williams*
Costume Construction: Heather Hogg*
University Dancers: Kris Atamaniuk, Dana Carskadden, Hannah Contessa, Maggie Crowe, Zara DuBoyce, Brooke Gibson, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Annie Hamilton, Imman Kajtazović, Tessa Katz, Mary Kimbrough, Julia Mirelez, Sarah Noorbakhsh, Caroline Perry, Ariana Sosa, Katie Weispfenning, Hannah Zaheer (Fall 2023: Patryk Czescik, Auden Wilson)
Company Captain: Ariana Sosa
Faculty Choreographers: Alicia Díaz*, Angelica Burgos, Eric Rivera, Anne Van Gelder*
Guest Choreographers: Ephrat Asherie, Larry Keigwin, Takehiro Ueyama
Guest Artist: Joe Seaton
* Member of ALPHA PSI OMEGA, the national dramatic honorary society
± Represented by UNITED SCENIC ARTISTS, Local USA 829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
University Dancers 2023-2024
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We appreciate your patience as we change production elements in the transitions between pieces.
For the safety of the dancers, the use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, are strictly prohibited.
This production uses theatrical haze.
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The Department of Theatre & Dance warmly welcomes you to MOVING BODIES | BODIES MOVING University Dancers 39th Annual Concert!
One of the most humbling and rewarding aspects of engaging in Dance is the opportunity to share before a live audience, the dances that have been created, learned, and rehearsed for months. We are delighted to share with you today, these dances that were created especially for this concert! Members of University Dancers have had the rare opportunity to learn from professional faculty artists and acclaimed guest artists from throughout the world who bring diversity to our community in numerous ways. Through these unique experiences, students have come to see dance within an ever-broadening context and community. In this our 39th year, we once again feature student work alongside the work of guest artists and faculty. One can observe in the program notes that our student performers and designers are artist-scholars whose academic majors include the arts, humanities, sciences, leadership, and business. Collaboration, daily fine-tuning of craft, as well as opportunities for reflection and critique are integral features of all stage performance. Bringing talent, prestige, and international experiences are three guest artists who created new works on the Richmond students in artist residencies in the fall and spring that extended from six to eight days. Ephrat Asherie has trained her entire life in multiple genres of dance, but identifies the styles of breaking, hip hop, and house as her choreographic vocabulary. Asherie's artistic aesthetic utilizes urban social dance as a means to educate and engage community. Larry Keigwin is the founder and artistic director of Keigwin + Company, a troupe known for its electrifying brand of contemporary dance. Mr. Keigwin’s choreography is theatrical, witty, and smart, engaging audiences with his refreshing vision of dance. Take Ueyama draws creative inspiration from his Japanese heritage as well as his athletic prowess as a baseball player in his youth. His repertoire has been inspired by the beauty in nature, the duality of darkness and light in the universal human condition, and the humanity and compassion in day-to-day living. Aligning with the department’s mission, the creative work by Asherie, Keigwin and Ueyama each utilize contemporary dance to educate and engage community. Angelica Burgos, Alicia Díaz, Eric Rivera, and I have created new pieces that will premiere at this concert. As always, integral to each phase of the process, including the performance that you will see, are the important roles of faculty and guest design artists Johann Stegmeir, Gretta Daughtrey, and Emmy Weldon. Producing this concert involves the collaboration of choreographers, designers, and technicians. I would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of so many who have made this concert possible. My special thanks go to my colleagues in the Department of Theatre & Dance for their generous spirit of collaboration and to the technical staff who literally make the production happen! And finally, to you, the audience, may you feel enlivened by the dance, music, and choreography and reminded of the scope and sweep of the creative imagination, as well as the power of dance to arouse convictions, to strengthen covenants, and to build community. As we say nearly every day in UD, “we are lucky.” Today, we are lucky to have you with us to share in the joy of MOVING
BODIES|BODIES MOVING
Thank you for your support! I hope you enjoy the concert.
Anne Van Gelder
Faculty, Department of Theatre & Dance Director of Dance Artistic Director, University Dancers
!
The Company
Kris Atamaniuk
Hometown: Kolomyia, Ukraine
Class: 2026
Major: Leadership Studies
Minor: Entrepreneurship (Concentration: Management)
Dana Carskadden
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Class: 2025
Major: Business Administration (Marketing)
Minor: French Hannah Contessa
Hometown: Guilford, CT
Class: 2027
Major: Leadership Studies & Political Science
Minor: Dance
Maggie Crowe
Hometown: Hazlet, NJ
Class: 2025
Major: Dance & American Studies
Minor: Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Zara DuBoyce
Hometown: Davidsonville, MD
Class: 2024
Major: Dance & Global Studies (Concentration: Development and Change)
Brooke Gibson
Hometown: Chesapeake, VA
Class: 2025
Major: Biology & Psychology (Concentration: Neuroscience)
Minor: Health Studies
The Company
Katherine Goldbach Ehmer
Hometown: Suffolk, VA
Class: 2024
Major: Environmental Studies
Minor: Dance
Annie Hamilton
Hometown: Andover, MA
Class: 2026
Major: Biology/Pre-Physician Assistant
Minor: Health Studies
Imman Kajtazović
Hometown: Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Class: 2027
Major: Economics & Political Science
Tessa Katz
Hometown: Cranbury, NJ
Class: 2027
Major: Education
Mary Kimbrough
Hometown: Powhatan, VA
Class: 2027
Major: Political Science & English
Minor: Dance
Julia Mirelez
Hometown: Edina, MN
Class: 2027
Major: Political Science
The Company
Sarah Noorbakhsh
Hometown: Vienna, WV
Class: 2025
Major: PPEL (Concentration: Political Science)
Minor: Dance Caroline Perry
Hometown: Little Rock, AR
Class: 2027
Major: Dance & Theatre
Minor: History or Art History
Ariana Sosa
Hometown: Miami, FL
Class: 2024
Major: Biology & Healthcare Studies
Minor: Leadership Studies
Katie Weispfenning
Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ
Class: 2027
Major: Undeclared
Hannah Zaheer
Hometown: West Newbury, MA
Class: 2025
Major: PPEL (Politics)
Minor: Dance & Health Studies
The Program
To Touch a Dark Dream II
Choreography by Anne Van Gelder* with the dancers
Music: "Violin Concerto No. 1, Movement 1", composed by Philip Glass, performed by Adele Anthony and the Ulster Orchestra
Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Dancers: Dana Carskadden, Zara DuBoyce, Tessa Katz, Julia Mirelez, Sarah Noorbakhsh, Hannah Zaheer
To Touch a Dark Dream premiered February 28, 2008 at the Modlin Center for the Arts. This piece is dedicated to the 2008 and 2024 casts with gratitude for their willingness to explore during the creative process.
Por el Tiempo
Choreography by Eric Rivera
Music: "Sobre Las Palmas" by Anna Murtola & Venla Llona Blom; “La Llama” by Anna Murtola & Hilda Länsman; “Djelem Djelem” by Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra; “Ritmo de Aledrías” by El Junco; edited by Eric Rivera
Costume Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Dancers: Dana Carskadden, Brooke Gibson, Katie Weispfenning
The Program
Where We’re From...
Artistic Direction by Alicia Díaz*
Choreography, Bio Poems, and Paintings by Maggie Crowe, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Imman Kajtazović
Music: “Sevdah I” performed by Andrea Krux
Costume Facilitation by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic Design by Emmy Weldon
Dramaturgical Consultation by Patricia Herrera *
Sound Engineering by Robby Williams*
Dancers: Maggie Crowe, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Imman Kajtazović
In telling our stories we recognize our shared humanity. Please share yours in our Bio Poem Community Board in the lobby! May love replace all fear. May peace replace all violence. May all beings be happy.
Fleet
Choreography by Maggie Crowe
Music: "Slow Water", composed and performed by Brian Eno; "Infra 5", composed and performed by Max Richter, edited by Alex Broening* & Robby Williams*
Costume Design by Maggie Crowe, mentored by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Alex Broening*, mentored by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic and Projection Design by Maggie Crowe, mentored by Emmy Weldon
Faculty Mentor: Alicia Díaz*
Dancers: Zara DuBoyce, Mary Kimbrough, Caroline Perry, Katie Weispfenning
Generous support for Fleet was provided by the A&S Undergraduate Research Committee
“Time and tide wait for no man.” - Geoffrey Chaucer
The Program
Transition
Choreography by Takehiro Ueyama
Rehearsal Director: Anne Van Gelder*
Music: "Still Life" by Ryuichi Sakamoto
Costume Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic Design by Emmy Weldon
Dancers: Hannah Contessa, Maggie Crowe, Zara DuBoyce, Brooke Gibson, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Annie Hamilton, Caroline Perry, Ariana Sosa, Katie Weispfenning, Hannah Zaheer
Generous support for Transition was provided by a Cultural Affairs Grant
INTERMISSION
Out-Side-In (ReDux)
Choreography by Ephrat Asherie
Rehearsal Director: Angelica Burgos
Music: "Sus’m out" by Donovan Dorrance and Hip Love by FaltyDL (edited by Donovan Dorrance)
Costume Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic Design by Emmy Weldon
Dancers: Kris Atamaniuk, Hannah Contessa, Maggie Crowe, Zara DuBoyce, Brooke Gibson, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Annie Hamilton, Imman Kajtazović, Tessa Katz, Mary Kimbrough, Julia Mirelez, Sarah Noorbakhsh, Caroline Perry, Ariana Sosa, Katie Weispfenning, Hannah Zaheer
The Program
In Changing, We Stay
Choreography by Hannah Zaheer
Music: "Six (Instrumental)" and “Eight (Instrumental)”, composed and performed by Sleeping At Last; “Heart of Glass (Crabtree Remix)”, composed by Philip Glass, performed by Blondie & Philip Glass; edited by Hannah Zaheer
Costume Design by Hannah Zaheer, mentored by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Alex Broening*, mentored by Gretta Daughtrey
Faculty Mentor: Alicia Díaz*
Dancers: Maggie Crowe, Brooke Gibson, Tessa Katz, Sarah Noorbakhsh, Ariana Sosa
Generous support for In Changing, We Stay was provided by the A&S Undergraduate Research Committee
Las Dos/The Two
Choreography by Angelica Burgos
Music: "Burning Bed" by Elliot Goldenthal; “Por Tí Mi Corazón (Poema Frida)” by José Reinoso, Carlos Muñoz, & Flora Martinez; “La Pasión según San Marcos: 28. Silencio” by Orquesta La Pasion & Maria Guinand; “Pena Salada” by Sílvia Pérez Cruz; “Après la pluie II” by René Aubry; edited by Angelica Burgos
Costume Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic & Projection Design by Emmy Weldon
Dancers: Annie Hamilton, Ariana Sosa
The present work is influenced by the renowned painting “The Two Fridas” by Frida Kahlo, which portrays the interdependence and duality of the human experience and the multifaceted nature of our own dual personalities.
The Program
Are You There?
Choreography by Zara DuBoyce
Music: "3 Pieces in Old Style: No. 1 Aria” by Krzysztof Penderecki, performed by Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra;“The Sea Ranch Songs Elements: I” by Aleksandra Vrebalov and Kronos Quartet;“Les Berceaux, Op. 23, No.1” by Gabriel Fauré, performed by Mischa Daria Hovora
Costume Design by Zara DuBoyce, mentored byJohann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Alex Broening*, mentored by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic Design by Zara DuBoyce, mentored by Emmy Weldon
Faculty Mentor: Alicia Díaz*
Dancers: Dana Carskadden, Annie Hamilton, Julia Mirelez, Hannah Zaheer
Guest Artist: Joe Seaton
Generous support for Are You There? was provided by the A&S Undergraduate Research Committee
Parade
Choreography by Larry Keigwin in collaboration with the dancers
Rehearsal Director: Angelica Burgos
Original Music: "Canvas” by Adam Crystal; “Animal” by Curtis Macdonald
Costume Design by Johann Stegmeir*±
Light Design by Gretta Daughtrey
Scenic Design by Emmy Weldon
Dancers: Kris Atamaniuk, Dana Carskadden, Maggie Crowe, Zara DuBoyce, Brooke Gibson, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer*, Annie Hamilton, Imman Kajtazović, Julia Mirelez, Sarah Noorbakhsh, Caroline Perry, Ariana Sosa, Katie Weispfenning, Hannah Zaheer
Artistic Staff
ANNE VAN GELDER, Faculty, Department of Theatre and Dance, Director of Dance, and Artistic Director of University Dancers holds a B.A. from Virginia Intermont College and an M.F.A. from the University of Utah, in Performance, Choreography, and Pedagogy. Ms. Van Gelder performed and served as ballet master in companies in Virginia and Utah. As a dancer, Ms. Van Gelder worked with a variety of educators and choreographers from all over the world including LiChou Cheng, Alun Jones, Conrad Ludlow, Richard Munro, Tom Pazik, and Stanley Zompakos. At the University of Richmond, Ms. Van Gelder has worked with artist-scholars Francesca Harper, Stefanie Batten Bland, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Alexandra Damiani, Kanji Segawa, Jacqulyn Buglisi, and Stephanie Martinez, among others. Her choreography has been performed in collaboration with the Grammyaward winning sextet, Eighth Blackbird. She has taught all levels of classical ballet technique at the University of Richmond, the University of Utah, Virginia Intermont College, and the Willam F. Christensen Center for Dance. Ms. Van Gelder has been invited to create or restage choreographies for various institutions including the Saratov Academic Youth Theatre, W&L Repertory Dance Company, Theatre Bristol, Park City Shakespeare Festival, and the Ogden Symphony. Ms. Van Gelder has created works for Department of Theatre & Dance productions including the department’s dance concerts, The Tempest, Wings, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and The Chairs and The Bald Soprano directed by Italian director and filmmaker, Paolo Landi. In Utah, she served as Dance Instructor and Choreographer for gymnasts who were members of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. She has been invited to lecture on dance history at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and regularly teaches master classes at the American College Dance Association annual conference. Her study of dance is ongoing, including professional conferences in Italy, Boston, and New York City, where she enjoys studying historic dance. At UR, Ms. Van Gelder teaches Text & Performance, Dance History-Theory I and II, and all levels of ballet and pointe technique. Ms. Van Gelder serves on the Board of Directors of CORPS de Ballet International and is a member of the Membership and Outreach committee. She serves on the Advisory Board of Conflux Dance Theater. She is a member of Golden Key International Honour Society and Alpha Psi Omega Dramatic Honorary Society.
Artistic Staff
ALICIA DÍAZ joined UR’s Department of Theatre and Dance in 2011, where she teaches contemporary dance, improvisation, composition, and community-engaged courses on dance for social change. As a Puerto Rican contemporary dance artist in the diaspora Alicia’s work speaks to issues of memory and identity, migration, colonialism, and the legacy of slavery. Her recent award-winning dance film Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved, weaves stories of anti-colonial and feminist activism through the history of tobacco in Puerto Rico and Virginia. Trained in modern dance at The Ailey School and later in postmodern dance at Movement Research in NYC, Alicia has performed nationally and internationally with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Andanza: Puerto Rican Contemporary Dance Company, Donald Byrd/The Group (The Harlem Nutcracker), Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, Maida Withers Dance Construction Company, as well as numerous independent choreographers including Marion Ramírez, Sally Silvers, and Alejandra Martorell. She co-directed Rubí Theatre, a Latinx, intergenerational theater ensemble in New York City; en la brega dance company, with Puerto Rican dance artist Ñequi González; and Agua Dulce Dance Theater, with movement artist Matthew Thornton, creating works for concert dance, museums, and site-specific locations. Her collaborations with percussionist Héctor “Coco” Barez engage Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba as an embodied form of resistance, healing, and liberation. Her work has been presented in the United States, Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Argentina, and Mexico. Alicia serves on the Board of Pepatián: Bronx Arts ColLABorative, an organization that supports Latinx, Black, Afro-Latinx, Caribbean, Latin American, and indigenous artists. Alicia's work is featured in the recent publication Inhabiting the Impossible: Dance and Experimentation in Puerto Rico, the first book of its kind to survey the field of Puerto Rican experimental dance across four decades. The book was selected as the 2023 Dance Studies Book by the Dance Studies Association.
Artistic Staff
ANGELICA BURGOS is of Dominican-Armenian heritage. She has received her M.F.A. in choreography from Jacksonville University in Florida; she also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from LEAP Program with Saint Mary’s College of California, and is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed all of ABT Teachers National Training Curriculum. Over the 16 years of her performing career, she has danced with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago under Gerald Arpino, Sacramento Ballet under artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda, Ballet Hispanico under founder Tina Ramirez and in the West Side Story on Broadway revival in 2010. She has worked with artists such as Pedro Ruiz, Margo Sappington, Ramon Oller, John Clifford, Annabelle Ochoa Lopes, Val Caniparoli, Trey McIntyre, Septime Webre, Dwight Rhoden, Graciela Daniel, Sergio Trujillo and Ron Cunningham. In 2022, she became co-director of Conflux Dance Theater. Additionally, she has taught for Western Kentucky University for three years and University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. Burgos’s choreography has been commissioned by the Western Kentucky University spring performance and Virginia Commonwealth University Freshman Repertory course show, University of Richmond, Fullerton University, and Duke University Dance Program. Her choreography has competed at the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Youth America Grand Prix and Universal Ballet Competition. Burgos’s television credits include PBS’s Setting the Stage, 2007; NBC’s 20th Hispanic Heritage Awards; and PBS’s documentary Pedro Ruiz Coming Home, 2011. She is also fluent in Spanish, Russian, Armenian, and English languages. ericrivera5678.wixsite.com/angelicaburgo
GRETTA DAUGHTREY has designed with several local theatre companies, area schools, and universities. Gretta has been a regular guest designer for VCU School of Dance and Choreography as well as JMU School of Theatre and Dance. Gretta also works in System Integration designing Theatrical Lighting Controls at Barbizon Capitol.
Artistic Staff
HEATHER HOGG is a professor and a professional costumer and principal dressmaker/tailor for theatre and film. She’s been designing costumes for the Department of Theatre & Dance since 2007 and has designed for professional theatre companies in the Richmond vicinity for over 20 years. She earned accolades such as the Omicron Delta Kappa award for Outstanding Contributions at the University of Richmond and the Award for Graduate Excellence from VCU. Through a Partners in the Arts grant she devised and co-directed an original production called James River Anthology with the students of Seven Hills School. She was also commissioned by Collegiate School to write Amelia’s War, a play based on the novel by Ann Rinaldi. Her work can be seen in movies such as Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Ithaca, the AMC series Turn, the PBS series Mercy Street seasons 1 and 2, and the Showtime series The Good Lord Bird. Her latest professional work can be seen in the movie The Black Phone.
ERIC RIVERA, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his MFA in Choreography from SUNY Purchase College. During his performing career, he danced with Ballet Hispanico of New York for 13 seasons, where he helped create over 20 original works. He performed with Minnesota Ballet as a principal dancer, Ballet Theater of Pennsylvania, Ballet Teatro Municipal de San Juan P.R., Danza Jazz de San Juan, and West Side Story's European tour. He has appeared as a guest artist in companies such as Connecticut Ballet, Thomas Ortiz Dance, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater, Westchester Ballet, and Brooklyn Ballet. Eric had the pleasure of performing choreographies of Ann Reinking, Mark Morris, José Limon, Kenneth McMillan, Margot Sappington, Graciela Daniel, Kevin Wynn, Vicente Nebrada, Talley Beatty, and George Balanchine. His works have been presented by Ballet Contemporáneo de Camagüey in Cuba, EDANCO Dance Festival in the Dominican Republic, Ciudad Interior in Mexico, Dance Iquail, Ashani Dance, Convergence Ballet, Owensboro Dance Company, CSU Fullerton, University of Mississippi, Western Kentucky University, University of Richmond, Orange County College, Purchase College, Goucher College, W&L University, Jacksonville University, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, L2 Dance Theater, New England Dance Theater, ACDA South, ACDA Baja Region, ACDFA Gala at Little Rock, AR, NY Summer Stage, and the show They Called it Rock. His television appearances include PBS' Setting the Stage, NBC's 20th Hispanic Heritage Awards, Hispanic Day Parade with Brenda Blackmon, Puerto Rican Day Parade with Ernie Anastos, and the documentary Pedro Ruiz Home Coming, among others. Mr. Rivera is the recipient of Best Ballet choreography 2019 and Best choreographer of the year 2021 by RVA Dance Awards. In his creative work, as well as in his teaching, he is continuously exploring ways in which to share his Hispanic heritage. Mr. Rivera is an ABT Certified Teacher who has completed the ABT Teachers Training Intensive in Primary through level seven of the ABT National Training Curriculum.
Artistic Staff
JOHANN STEGMEIR has designed costumes for Opera, Theatre, Dance, Feature Films and TV. Johann has designed for leading opera companies including, Carnegie Hall, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, LA Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera San Jose, Glimmerglass Opera. Most recently, Johann designed costumes for the premiere of Kaiserrequiem at Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily. He was the Assistant Costume Designer for Wildcat! about Flannery O’Connor directed by Ethan Hawke, with Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, and Steve Zahn. Johann collaborated with acclaimed director Bruce Beresford on costumes for the feature film Peace Love and Understanding starring Jane Fonda, as well as We Shall Remain: Tecumsah's Vision, a documentary for PBS directed by Ric Burns. Johann was the Assistant Costume Designer for the PBS Civil War Series Mercy Street with Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding area as its backdrop. Johann received the prestigious TCG/ NEA Designer Fellowship allowing him the opportunity to further develop his design skills and expand artistic boundaries. He has worked at Covent Garden, Teatro Real (Madrid), La Scala, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, The Rome Opera, The New Israeli Opera, Savonlinna Festival (Finland), Theatre des Westens (Berlin). Johann’s work has been on exhibition for World Stage Design 2009 in Seoul, South Korea, World Stage Design 2013 in Cardiff, Wales, World Stage Design 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan and in Costume at the Turn of the Century 1990-2015 at the A.A. Bakhushin State Central Theatre Museum, Moscow. Upcoming projects in Vienna and Rome. Member USA 829.
EMMY WELDON, an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Richmond, is an accomplished production designer known for crafting immersive environments across a spectrum of mediums, including theatre, film, television, and events. With a profound belief in the power of storytelling, Emmy approaches each design as a narrative canvas, leveraging every visual element to enrich and amplify the underlying story. Their passion lies in creating productions that fearlessly confront difficult truths, advocate for social justice, and envision a future of inclusivity and shared prosperity. Their recent design credits include the scenic design for Fairview at the University of Richmond, scenic and projections design for Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till produced by the Emmy Award-Winning theatre company Collaboraction at The DuSable Museum in Chicago, and production design for the feature film Good Guy with a Gun, which was awarded Best Set Design at the Edinburgh Film Festival International 2023.
Student Artists
ALEX BROENING (Student Lighting Designer) is a third-year student majoring in German Studies and Political Science. As a lighting designer, Alex has designed for professional and student works, including Conflux Dance Theater (Dir. Angelica Burgos and Miguel Perez), Theater Aspen Education, and previous UR dance concerts. Alex’s recent work as a stage manager includes stage managing fast | FORWARD for UR and spotlight stage managing for Richmond Ballet’s Dracula. As a theater electrician, Alex has previously worked at Theater Aspen, Event Revolution in Baltimore, and Richmond and Henrico Public Schools, and currently works for the electric crew at the UR Department of Theatre and Dance. Alex is excited to present the result of his collaboration with the three student choreographers this year. Alex thanks his co-designer and mentor Gretta Daughtrey, the entire design team, and Anne Van Gelder for their collaboration and advice.
MAGGIE CROWE (Student Choreographer) is a junior majoring in Dance and American Studies with a minor in WGSS. She began dancing at eighteen months old at Middletown Dance Academy in Middletown, NJ, and continued her training at New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble (NJDTE) in Summit, NJ, under the direction of Nancy Turano. Maggie joined University Dancers in the fall of 2021, and is excited to share her Student Dance Project, Fleet, in this year's concert. The costumes and projections for this work were made possible through a research grant awarded by the Undergraduate Research Committee. Maggie would like to thank the Department of Theatre & Dance faculty and staff for their unwavering guidance and encouragement, the Undergraduate Research Committee for their generous support, and her brilliant cast for their willingness to (literally) dive headfirst into the process of creating this piece!
ZARA DUBOYCE (Student Choreographer) is a senior majoring in Dance and Global Studies with a concentration in Development and Change. She started dancing at three years old and at the age of 10, she began training at the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. This is Zara’s second year with University Dancers, and she is excited to present her Senior Thesis Capstone Are You There? at this year’s concert. The costumes and set were made possible through a grant from the Undergraduate Research Committee. Zara would like to thank her faculty mentor, professor Alicia Díaz for her support through this creative process. She would also like to acknowledge others in the department who offered guidance and support: Professors Anne Van Gelder, Johann Stegmeir, Emmy Weldon, and Eric Rivera as well as her artistic collaborator for lighting design, Alex Broening. Zara extends heartfelt gratitude to her cast for their patience, trust, and kindness. Are You There? is dedicated to her grandmother and mother.
Student Artists
HANNAH ZAHEER (Student Choreographer) is a junior majoring in PPEL with a Politics concentration and minors in Dance and Health Studies. She began dancing at The Dance Place in Newburyport, MA and continued her training at Berwick Academy and New England Dance Project in South Berwick, ME. Hannah joined University Dancers in the fall of 2021 and is excited to present her Dance Project, In Changing, We Stay, in this year’s concert. The costumes for this work were made possible by a research grant awarded by the Undergraduate Research Committee. Hannah would like to thank her faculty mentor, Alicia Díaz, for her continued guidance and support, her costume and lighting designers, and her incredible cast for their hard work and dedication to the piece.
Guest Artist
JOE SEATON
Joe started dancing through the Royal Ballet's Chance to Dance and Junior Associate programs. He then went on to train at Tring Park School and at the San Francisco Ballet School. Joe has danced professionally with BalletMet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Charlottesville Opera, Charlottesville Ballet, and Richmond Ballet, and has performed leading roles in works by choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Ma Cong, and Val Caniparoli, among others. Joe completed his 200 Hour YogaWorks training in 2017 and his NCCPT Personal Training certification in 2019. Joe now teaches Dance, Yoga and Strength and Conditioning across the greater Richmond Area.
Guest Choreographers
LARRY KEIGWIN is a native New Yorker, choreographer, and curator who has danced his way from the Metropolitan Opera to downtown clubs to Broadway and back. Keigwin is celebrated for his electrifying and refreshing vision of dance that embodies a theatrical sensibility of wit, style, and heart. He founded KEIGWIN + COMPANY (K+C) in 2003 and as Artistic Director, Keigwin leads the company as it performs at theaters and dance festivals around the world on a myriad of stages including The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, New York City Center, and others. Keigwin has created 24 works for K+C, in addition to the large-scale community project, Bolero, which has been commissioned in 16 communities nationwide. Commissions include Paul Taylor Dance Company, Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. His work in musical theater includes Tales of the City (2011) at ACT in San Francisco and the offBroadway’s Rent, for which he received the 2011 Joe A. Callaway Award. In 2013, Keigwin choreographed Broadway’s If/Then, starring Idina Menzel. Keigwin has choreographed special events including Fashion’s Night Out: The Show, which was produced by Vogue and featured 150 of the industry’s top models. As Covid-19 shifted the world of dancemaking online, Keigwin created acclaimed virtual works in 2020/2021 with high-profile commissions from The Juilliard School, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, and Fire Island Dance Festival. Vogue heralded Bolero Juilliard, which brought together 100+ dancers, musicians, singers, actors, faculty, and alumni, as “One of the 9 Best Ballets to Come Out of Quarantine.” Keigwin is also the Director of Dance and a co-founder of the Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls, CO, a multi-disciplinary festival designed to increase cultural opportunities in the region. Keigwin is also the Dance Editor of ArtDesk, a quarterly publication devoted to contemporary art, dance, performance, and thought. www.keigwinandcompany.com
EPHRAT ASHERIE
Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie is a NYC-based director, choreographer, performer and b-girl and a 2016 Bessie Award Winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance. Asherie has received numerous awards to support her work including Dance Magazine's Inaugural Harkness Promise Award and two National Dance Project Awards. In 2019 she was the recipient of a NYFA Fellowship and was a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow from 2021-2023. As Artistic Director of Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD), Asherie's work has been presented on stages nationally and internationally with commissions from companies including Malpaso, Philadanco! and Parsons Contemporary Dance and additional commissions from Vail Dance Festival, Fall for Dance, River to River Festival, Firatàtrrega, Works & Process at the Guggenheim and the Kennedy Center
Guest Choreographers
EPHRAT ASHERIE (cont.)
Additional directorial work includes UNDERSCORED: On Screen at Lincoln Center, FLOORISH, Solo Chini: Un Dia en Nueva York and In the MOment: A Drawing Dance (New York Premiere at Dance on Camera Lincoln Center). Asherie is honored to have been mentored by Richard Santiago (aka Break Easy) and to have worked and collaborated with Michelle Dorrance, Doug Elkins, Rennie Harris, Bill Irwin, Gus Solomons jr, and Buddha Stretch, among others. Asherie earned her BA from Barnard College, Columbia University in Italian and her MFA from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where she researched the vernacular jazz dance roots of contemporary street and club dances. She is a co-founding member of the all-female house dance collective MAWU and is forever grateful to NYC’s underground dance community for inspiring her to pursue a life as an artist. Please visit www.ephratasheriedance.com or IG: @ephratasheriedance for more info.
TAKEHIRO UEYAMA
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Takehiro “Take” Ueyama moved to the United States in 1991 to study dance at the Juilliard School in New York City. Upon graduation, he was invited to join the Paul Taylor Dance Company, touring the world with them for 8 years. In 2003 Ueyama debuted his first choreographic work, Tsubasa, performed with fellow Taylor dancers at the McKenna Theatre at SUNY New Paltz, NY, and in 2005 founded TAKE Dance. Ueyama has enjoyed worldwide recognition; his Sakura Sakura was a prizewinner at the International Modern Dance Choreographic Competition in Burgos, Spain, and he was one of four choreographers selected for the 2006 Free to Rep at FSU’s Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography. In 2010 he was the first choreographer to win the S & R Foundation’s prestigious Washington Award. Ueyama received the 2015 Jadin Wong Award for Emerging Asian American choreographer by Asian American Arts Alliance. Most recently, Ueyama was awarded a 2022 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Grant. This year, he will create a new work for University of Richmond, I. M. Terrell Dance, Texas, Troy University, Alabama, Ballet X, and his own company, TAKE Dance. http://www.takedance.org/
The Production Staff
Stage Manager
Keira Vogel*
Assistant Stage Managers
Grace Allen*, Dana Carskadden, Annabelle Zong*
Run Crew
Doro*, Alex Broening*, David Hensley, Tina Li, Jack Liu, Lauren Xavier, Harry Xie, Menghan Zhang, Justin Zhang
Dresser
Doro*
Fly Crew
Cameron Peterson*, Ian Murphy*
Board Operators
Zara Hertafeld*, Kate Mew, Farah Sertovic, Gareth Woo*
Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Robby Williams*
Electrics Crew
Alex Broening*, Michelle Pogrebetskaya, Keira Vogel*
Technical Supervisor
Phil Hayes*
Scene Shop Staff
Hope Amberger, Felicia Chen*, Jake Litman, Megan Montoya, Cameron Peterson*
Scene Shop Assistant
Patrick Michael
Director of Costume
Heather Hogg*
Costume Shop Staff
Jaize Francis, Martha Pinney
The Production Staff
Guest Costume Artisans
Tinia Crider, Karl Green, Susan Rich
Production Manager
Erica Hughes
Poster Design
Jeanne Minnix Graphic Design
Poster Photograph
Kim Lee Photography
T-shirt Design
Ariana Sosa
Videographer
Monarch Productions
Company Photographers
Kim Lee Photography, Ethan Swift, David Van Gelder
Company Class and Rehearsal Musicians
James Smithson, Charles Woodson, Doris Wylee-Becker
Piano Technician
Ray Breakall
A message to our graduating seniors Zara DuBoyce, Katherine Goldbach Ehmer, and Ariana Sosa:
We appreciate your commitment and contributions to the Department of Theatre & Dance and University Dancers, and we wish you well in the future as you explore opportunities that await you. Congratulations on your excellent work in the department including your performances on stage, responsibilities on the tech crew backstage, and leadership responsibilities as company captain! We will miss you!
- Department of Theatre & Dance Faculty and Staff
Special Thanks
Tom Addonizio
Dr. Joseph Boehman
Dr. Linda Boland
Ray Breakall
Dean Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh
Dr. Olivier Delers
Jennifer and John Dowd
Dr. Linda Fairtile
Dr. Sharon Feldman
Sean Ferrell
Frank Foster
Dr. Mia Reinoso Genoni
President Kevin Hallock
Kim Urba Johansen
Jason Johansen
Christopher Jones
Stuart Landrum
Mildred and Gene Norman
Mil Norman-Risch
Dr. Joan Saab
Stacey Smith
David Van Gelder
Wes Van Gelder
Richmond Shakes
University Catering
University Communications
University Events
University Facilities
Undergraduate Research Committee
Modlin Center for the Arts
Department of Theatre & Dance Faculty and Staff
University Dancers Alumni and Friends, and Supporters
We wish to recognize Tristi McMaster Robinson for her generous and enduring commitment to Dance in the Richmond community. Richmond has lost an influential dancer, choreographer, and educator.
The Myra Daleng Dance Award was created in 2005 in honor of University Dancers Founder & Director of Dance Emerita Myra Daleng. The Award serves as a means of aiding a deserving dance student in their study of dance. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift.
For additional information contact Rhonda Jackson, Administrative Coordinator, Department of Theatre & Dance at rjackso3@richmond.edu or 804-289-8592.
Department of Theatre & Dance Faculty & Staff
Alicia Díaz* Associate Professor
Phil Hayes* Technical Supervisor/Shop Foreman
Patricia Herrera* Professor
Heather Hogg* Director of Costume
Dorothy Holland*^ Associate Professor
Erica Hughes Production Manager
Rhonda Jackson* Administrative Coordinator
Chuck Mike*# Associate Professor
Johann Stegmeir*± Associate Professor
Anne Norman Van Gelder* Director of Dance
Emmy Weldon Assistant Professor
Maja E. White*± Associate Professor
Robby Williams* Lighting & Sound Supervisor
Olivier Delers Interim Chair
Angelica Burgos, Adjunct Faculty
Deandra Clarke, Pamela England, Madison Ernstes, Cheryl Pallant, Eric Rivera, Elizabeth Turner
^ Member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.
± Represented by UNITED SCENIC ARTISTS, Local USA 829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
* Member of ALPHA PSI OMEGA, the national dramatic honorary society. # Member of the DIRECTOR’S GUILD OF GREAT BRITAIN.
Department of Theatre & Dance UR Players Officers
Maddi Lewis* Artistic Director
Grace Allen* Managing Director
Keira Vogel* Secretary
Gareth Woo* Historian
Virginia Thompson Public Relations
Annabelle Garcia & Ian Murphy* Social Chairs
Alex Broening* Student-Faculty Liaison
Zara Hertafeld* Student-Theatre Liaison
Alpha Psi Omega Officers
Melanie Sanchez* President
Will Hoffman* Vice President
Katherine Goldbach Ehmer* Secretary
Cameron Peterson* Business Manager
Aditya Narayanan* Historian
Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Julie Fulcher-Davis
April 18-20, 2024 | 7:30 PM
April 21, 2024 | 2:00 PM
Alice Jepson Theatre | Modlin Center for the Arts
Ngoma African Dance Company
Artistic Director: Babadunjo Olagunke
March 23, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Camp Concert Hall | Modlin Center for the Arts
Where We’re From…
Bio Poem
Please join in the creative process by writing your own bio poem!
Here is an example:
I am from the dogwood tree whose roots are solid and unmoving
Here is the template:
Where I’m From
I am from ________________________________________________ (a plant, tree or natural element from your past)
whose ____________________________________________________
(personify that natural element)
Ways to share your poem:
· Engage with a neighbor in the audience
· Use the template provided in the Bio-Poem Community Board in the lobby
· If writing digitally, submit your poem bit.ly/bio-poem-moving-bodies
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